HEY! You stole that from me!!!! Or you stole it from the same person I did!!!! :D

See post 61 of this thread for my pregame script. Its short and sweet and addresses the only that matters, sportsmanship.

http://forum.officiating.com/basketb...players-4.html

BRILLIANT! :D

I've worked with Mr. So and So, too!

I don't discuss anything. :p

Introduce my partners, tell captains to handle their hot-heads before we have to, and sportsmanship is our #1 concern.

After introductions it goes like this:

"First and foremost, have fun tonight.

Respect the game, respect your opponents, respect the referees. If you have a question during the game, we will be glad to answer it if it's addressed in a calm manner. Do you have any questions now? Good luck."

I do add the boundary line bit more often than not, but this may be a reflex from soccer where players frequently get confused by football boundary lines.

I keep it short and sweet after introductions.

"Help us out and take care of any issues that come up with your team and help us out with the ball the when it goes out. Questions?"

I've stopped asking my partner if he has anything to add because inevitably, everything I purposely left out "black line all around", "defense with feet", "this is your warning now", "tuck jerseys in" etc get added back in.

ETA: There are some partners I want to introduce as "This is Mr. Official Smith, based upon the last game we just worked, he will call the whole game and I will be simply standing here waving my arm around from time to time and helping him inbound the ball." I've managed to refrain from doing so however.

Ha Ha.............saw your first statement about playing black line all the way around and started to reply, got me.

Yes, I am guilty of theft...but it is worth it. I hope you don't mind...

Ever played on a court with a HS 3 point line and a college 3 point line?

My last captains' meeting went like this:

"You know who your knuckleheads are. Take care of them so we don't have to. Any questions? Anything to add (looking at my partner)? Have a good game."

This year, I've had a U, when I asked him if he had anything to add, ask for the speaking captains. I've had an R start getting into the new rule about team control during throw-ins. About a third of the guys around here will ask for speaking captains; but I have to be honest, I don't even remember who the captains are by the time I toss the jump ball. It's probably something I should work on, but I have never, ever, needed them.

A couple of years ago, I had an R give the whole black line speech with the players (hs game, not a confusing court) and then start to discuss correctable error procedure with the coaches.

If the players are respectful, they can communicate with me even if they arent a captain.

In a girls game, I always wonder what the dad in the stand thinks when his little girl lifts up her warmup to show the number on her jersey to 3 men :rolleyes:

As far as I know, I am the only person in my area who does not ask for speaking captains. Everyone else I have ever worked with still does.

I had a veteran (30 years experience) partner a couple years ago ask for the speaking captains when I was done with the captain's meeting and had not asked for them. I don't think I even asked him to add anything, he just stepped in and asked the players who was going to speak for them.

I worked a football game at umpire with a white hat that went over the entire points of emphasis with each coach during the pre-game conference. He then proceeded to review the entire rule change on blocking below the waist and his opinion on what would happen with the rule in the years to come. I think I turned three different shades of red during that.

The last time I asked for speaking captains (which I did because a few guys in that area were doing it), my veteran (40+ years) partner asked me why (afterwards). I didn't have an answer, and I haven't asked since. Last week was the first time I had a U ask after I was done.

Next time make sure to ask him for the speaking captains numbers in the middle of the 3rd Q :D

Apparently some guys arent allowed to speak at home...

LOL, yeah I've thought about that before too. :D

Several weeks ago, I worked a middle school girls game and arrived a bit early. I'm standing on the side of the court watching the girls play around with a volleyball for about 15 minutes; wearing a trench coat. My bag must have given me away, but I thought it was odd that no one acknowledged me for so long.

Okay, you topped mine. That's the equivalent of "we're going to call hand-check/three seconds/black line/moving screens and here's the new rules this year" guy.